The Fort Sumner Railroad Bridge, over the Pecos River 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Fort Sumner, New Mexico, was built in 1905. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

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4 on the National Register · #29 in NMHistoric places →

Know Fort Sumner

The town at a glance, and the guide to how things work

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About Fort Sumner

Village and county seat in De Baca County, New Mexico, United States

889Population

3.3 sq miArea

4,032 ftElevation

Fort Sumner is a village in and the county seat of De Baca County, New Mexico, United States. As of the 2020 census, Fort Sumner had a population of 889. Fort Sumner is the spring and fall home of the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Town numbers

ZIP code88119

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Living in Fort Sumner

Housing in Fort Sumner

$111K▲ 2.7% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Fort Sumner home is worth about $111,000, up 2.7% in a year, 65% below the New Mexico typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Work & commute in Fort Sumner

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About one in 3 of Fort Sumner’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Albuquerque (11%), Clovis (7%) and Portales (3%). Half commute less than 59 miles.

Albuquerque

11%

Clovis

Portales

Roswell

31%Work in townlive and work in Fort Sumner 59 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 310Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Fort Sumner →

Health in Fort Sumner

Compared with New Mexico

4better than NM·9worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 19 are too close to call.

Conditions 8▼ 4 close Habits all close Care 3▲ 4 close Mind 1▼ 4 close Everyday needs 1▲ 3 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

9.6%Fewer adults facing a utility shut-offNM 11.2% · better 79.7%More adults treating high blood pressureNM 73.3% · better 9.7%More adults with heart diseaseNM 7.2% · worse

Care nearby

Guadalupe County HospitalSanta Rosa · 40.9 mi · ER

Debaca Family Practice ClinicFort Sumner · 1.6 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Fort Sumner · CMS · HRSAHealth in Fort Sumner →

Natural hazards in Fort Sumner

Very high

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 89% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🌵 Drought🔥 Wildfire

0Does Fort Sumner flood?no paid flood claims on record NoneDisasters that paid out hereof 4 declared for DeBaca County

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Fort Sumner →

Climate in Fort Sumner

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Fort Sumner has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

56° / 26°Winter

75° / 42°Spring

92° / 63°Summer

74° / 44°Fall

How much snow does Fort Sumner get?About 9 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 30, with the last in spring around Apr 9.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.6° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Fort Sumner →

Schools in Fort Sumner

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B⁻

School Grade B-

The public schools Fort Sumner’s kids attend outperform 53% of New Mexico’s districts on state tests.

DistrictFORT SUMNERSchools3

Fort Sumner Elementary B+Elementary · Grades PK–5 · 124 students Fort Sumner Middle B+Middle · Grades 6–8 · 70 students Fort Sumner High AHigh · Grades 9–12 · 89 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results, graded within NM. Ratings are from neighbors.